The present invention relates generally to handle hardware and to handle hardware that is self-fastening that obviates the needs for installation tools.
Handles are commonly affixed to a panel or substrate for the purposes of facilitating the movement of that panel or substrate. For example, handles are often attached to drawers to assist in moving them in and out. Also, handles are commonly affixed to objects to facilitate moving them. As a further example, heavy duty handles are attached to the cabinet panel for a piece of equipment, such as an audiovisual component, so that it can be more easily lifted and transported.
in the prior art, handles are typically attached to their given panel support by a threaded fastener or rivet. For example, in the prior art, a handle of a U-shaped configuration has two free ends that carry male threading. The free ends are routed through corresponding apertures it the substrate. A female threaded nut is provided on the opposite side of the substrate to engage with the male threaded free ends to thereby secure the handle in place. Alternatively, the free ends of the handles may include female threaded bores for aligning with corresponding apertures through the panel on which the handle is to be attached. Male threaded fasteners are routed respectively through the holes in the panel to engage with the female threaded bores in the free ends of the handles. The heads of the fasteners on the opposing side of the panel to the handle itself secure the handle in place on the panel.
Still further, handles may be secured to a panel by other connection methods, such as rivets cotter pins. Alternatively, handles may be directly welded to the face of the panel.
As can be understood these prior art attachment methods are labor intensive, require access to the rear of the panel that will carry the handle and are time consuming. In many applications, it is desirable to ship the product without the handle or handles attached thereto to save cost and time of assembly thereby requiring the end users or purchaser to finish the assembly by attaching the desired handle. However, at this point, the product, such as an electronic stereo component, is an enclosed unit making it difficult if not impossible to gain access to the rear, internal side of the panel, e.g. a front face of the unit. Furthermore, it is also not desirable to weld a handle to a panel that resides on a delicate product.
In view of the foregoing, there is a demand for a handle that can be attached quickly and easily without additional hardware or tools and without the need for access to the rear of the panel that is to carry the handle. There is a further demand for a handle to be self-fastening yet provide a permanent installation of the handle to the carrier panel.
The present invention preserves the advantages of prior art handles and methods of manufacturing and the installing the same. In addition, the improved self-fastening handle and manufacturing and installation methods of the present invention provides new advantages not found in currently known assemblies and methods and overcomes many disadvantages of such currently available assemblies and methods.
The invention is generally directed to the novel and unique self-fastening handle as well as the novel and unique method of installation of the handle to a carrier panel. The self-fastening handle assembly of the present invention includes a carrier panel with an aperture. A base member has a central bore and a bottom surface. Fingers, which extend from the bottom surface of the base member, are in a first arrangement which has a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the aperture and thereby capable of being routed therethrough. The fingers are expandable from the first arrangement to a second arrangement having a diameter greater than the diameter of the aperture. A spreader pin resides within the bore and within the fingers. The spreader pin is movable from a first position with the fingers at the first arrangement to a second position within the fingers to a second arrangement with the finger engaging surface in communication with the fingers. A handle, pivotally connected to the base member by a pivot; has an impact end which drives the spreader pin into the fingers upon rotation of the handle. As a result, the fingers spread on the opposing side of the carrier panel thus securing the base member and handle thereto.
In an alternative embodiment, the spreader pin and the impact end of the handle are integrated so that the impact end is driven into the central bore of the base member to directly spread the fingers emanating from the bottom of the base member.
A method of the present invention includes providing a carrier panel with an aperture with a diameter therethrough. The base member has a central bore and a bottom surface with a number of fingers extending from the bottom surface of the base member. The spreader pin resides within the bore and within the fingers; the spreader pin having a top surface and a finger engaging surface. The fingers are routed through the aperture in the carrier panel and the handle is rotated relative to the base member so that the impact end of the handle impact into the spreader pin. Next, the spreader pin is driven into the fingers to thereby spread the fingers to the second arrangement which has a diameter greater than the diameter of the aperture in the carrier panel thereby preventing detachment of the base member from the carrier panel. As a result, the base member is secured to the carrier panel and the handle pivotally connected thereto.
In the alternative method of the present invention, the spreader pin and free ends of handle are integrated to form impact ends. The handle is driven into the central bore of the base member without the assistance of the pivoting as in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this alternative embodiment, the installer pushes the handle, namely, the impact ends thereof toward the carrier panel after the fingers are positioned within the aperture of the carrier panel. As a result, the fingers will be spread securing the base members and the handle to the carrier panel.
Once the handle is installed in accordance with the present invention, the handle may be used in the normal fashion. For example, with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handle is free to pivot to provide low profile handle. When use of the handle is needed, it can be easily pivoted to the desired position. With the alternative embodiment, the handle is permanent positioned in an extended position ready for use.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide an improved self-fastening handle.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a self-fastening handle that does not require tools for installation.
Still further, an object of the instant invention is to provide a self-fastening handle that can be installed without access to the rear side of the carrier panel.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a self-fastening handle that requires no extra hardware for installation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a self-fastening handle that can be installed quickly and easily.
Another object of the present invention is to provide method of installing a self-fastening handle.